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JOURNEYS; 36 Hours | Flagstaff, Ariz.

FLAGSTAFF defies the image of Arizona as a land of spindly cactuses and sun-baked desert. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, this historic pioneer town, surrounded by ponderosa pine forests beneath the towering San Francisco Peaks, has a climate more akin to Tahoe than Tucson, with an average daily high temperature of 73 degrees in September, and a chilly low of 41 degrees at night. A lively and wildly friendly college town, with its turn-of-the-century historic district on fabled Route 66 and a resonant American Indian heritage, Flagstaff offers a surprising range of cultural, culinary and recreational opportunities for a city of just over 50,000. DAVID KIRBY

Friday

4:30 p.m.

1. Get Your Kicks

The best way to get a feel for Flagstaff's past is to walk the streets of its Historic Railroad District, a five-square-block collection of old brick storefronts, cafes and hotels surrounding lively Heritage Square. Weathered Western facades grace these old streets, with their clothing boutiques, art galleries, cafes, antiques stores and outdoor-gear outfitters. Old Town Shops (120 North Leroux Street), a converted department store, has a fine collection of stores, including the Black Hound Gallerie (928-774-2323) for gifts and Southwestern art, and the Sage Brush Trading Company (928-773-1625) for Western clothes and gear. Later, stop for an early evening drink on the upstairs balcony of the Weatherford Hotel (23 North Leroux Street; 928-779-1919), an 1897 Wild West gem that housed a president (Theodore Roosevelt) and gunslingers alike.

8 p.m.

2. Thin Crust, Thick Head

Flagstaff has some of the best food in the West, with prices geared toward the budgets of students at nearby Northern Arizona University. The Beaver Street Brewery and Whistle Stop Cafe (11 South Beaver Street; 928-779-0079) is a friendly hangout that offers eclectic appetizers, salads and sandwiches. The thin-crust wood-fired pizzas, however, really stand out. The Beaver Street pizza, with goat cheese, roasted garlic pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, is a mouthwatering steal at $7.50 ($8.75 with sautéed shrimp). But the real star here is the beer. There are 11 rotating house brews and tours of the copper beer kettles in the brew house.

10 p.m.

3. Roadhouse Rock

Nothing says Route 66 quite like a roadside attraction, and few can rival the Museum Club (3404 East Route 66; 928-526-9434) for an authentic American oddity. Affectionately known as the Zoo, this legendary log cabin roadhouse began life as a taxidermy museum in 1931, popular among travelers taking Route 66, the Chicago-to-Santa Monica route immortalized by Nat King Cole. In 1936, the building was converted into a nightclub, and since then it has been the site of performances by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, among others. Inside the club are ponderosa pines, from which stuffed bobcats, bears, owls and peacocks stare down at the dance floor. On Fridays, there is live music until 1 a.m. and after-hours dancing to a D.J. until 3 a.m. Cover charges range from $2 to $6, depending on the act.

Join the early risers at Macy's European Coffee House and Bakery (14 South Beaver Street; 928-774-2243), where daily roasted coffees ($1 to $4 a cup), fresh pastries ($1 to $3) and breakfast specials ($4 to $5) are offered in a congenial atmosphere.

A scenic three-mile drive north on Highway 180 leads to the Museum of Northern Arizona (3101 North Fort Valley Road; 928-774-5213; open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; admission is $5 for adults, $4 for those 55 and over, $3 for students over 17 and $2 for children 7 to 17). Its collections explore the lands and people of the Colorado Plateau through anthropology, biology, geology and fine art. The 1920's Spanish Colonial Revival building is set amid towering ponderosa pines and contains permanent exhibits of Hopi, Navajo and Zuni artifacts.

Noon

6. All-American Burgers

The classic hamburger is no less emblematic of American road trips than Route 66 itself, and the two collide happily at a place improbably named Bun Huggers (at two locations: 3012 East Route 66; 928-526-0542; 901 South Milton Street; 928-779-3743). With old license plates on the wood walls and juicy burgers on the wood fire, these joints serve up roadside charbroiled perfection for under $10 a person.

1:30 p.m.

7. Life Among the Cliff Dwellers

Take Interstate 40 eight miles east of town and exit at the sign for Walnut Canyon National Monument (928-526-3367; open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily September through November; admission is $3; free for children 16 and under). Here, among the limestone cliffs set deep into the precipitous canyon, the Sinagua people (Spanish for ''without water'') built single-story homes after they fled the eruption of the Sunset Crater Volcano, about 15 miles north, which smothered the highlands in 1064 and 1065. The hike into the canyon and its well-preserved ruins is strenuous, but fascinating. For the less ambitious, there are terrific views and a fine museum on the canyon rim.

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Heading west on I-40, and then north on Highway 89, you catch a glimpse of what caused so many to flee in the 11th century: Sunset Crater, a 1,000-foot red cinder cone that sticks out amid the green mountains like, yes, a sore thumb. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (928-526-0502; open year-round; visitors' center open daily except Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is $3; free for children 16 and under) includes an otherworldly one-mile-loop hike on the Lava Flow Trail and a steep one-half-mile trail to the top of Lenox Crater. Use caution on the lava; it is sharp.

4:30 p.m.

9. Pueblos in the Painted Desert

Continue along the loop road past Sunset Crater, down through scrubby pine forest and onto the edges of the spectacular Painted Desert. At Mile 21, you will hit Wupatki National Monument (928-679-2365; open daily year-round; pueblos open sunrise to sunset; admission is $3; free for children 16 and under), the site of several beautiful multistory red stone structures, fantastically preserved in the dry desert air. The main site, established in the 1100's, was once a 100-room pueblo.

7:30 p.m.

10. Tequila and Tacos

For a small town, Flagstaff has a fairly big Saturday night, and a good place to start is San Felipe's Cantina (103 North Leroux Street; 928-779-6000). The Mexican beach hut décor is amusing, and the food, including the best fish tacos (beer-batter mahi-mahi) this side of Veracruz ($7), is delicious. Or try the Gordito Burrito, which weighs five pounds ($12). The tequila list, meanwhile, tops out at 100 varieties.

9:30 p.m.

11. Evening Under the Stars

You might want to stop in at one of the many bars and music clubs packed into tiny downtown Flagstaff. If you want something more celestial, pay a visit to Lowell Observatory (1400 West Mars Hill Road, 928-774-3358, ext. 210; open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through October; evening programs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday through October; admission is $4 for adults, $3.50 for those 65 and over and students, $2 for children 5 to 17 and free for children under 5), at an elevation of 7,260 feet. Evening programs include viewings of planets, globular and open star clusters, and nebulae through the 24-inch Clark telescope.

Sunday

10 a.m.

12. Little America, Big Brunch

The Sunday Champagne brunch in the Western Gold Dining Room of the Little America Hotel (2515 East Butler Avenue; 800-435-2493) is a northern Arizona institution, featuring roast prime rib, snow crab legs, shrimp, lox, bagels, waffles, omelets, pastries, and, of course, Champagne, for $19.95 per adult and $11.95 for children 7 to 11. Children under 7 eat free.

11:30 a.m.

13. A Brisk Walk in the Pines

Before saying goodbye, take a walk on the two-mile loop trail that winds through Little America's 500 acres of pine forest. Look for deer, elk, rabbits, birds, Kaibab squirrels and other scurrying natives.

Flagstaff, 75 miles south of the Grand Canyon and 30 miles north of Sedona, Ariz., is a three-hour drive north of Phoenix on Interstate 17. Connecting flights to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, four miles from town, run regularly from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. A very comfortable place to stay is the Little America Hotel (2515 East Butler Avenue; 800-435-2493), a 1970's low-rise resort. It has several bars and restaurants, a large free-form pool, a hot tub and acres of pine forest. Rates are $79 to $129 per room, depending on unit and season; ''specialty suites'' are $150 to $250. Downtown, Route 66 aficionados like to stay at the Hotel Monte Vista (100 North San Francisco Street; 800-545-3068) built in 1926. Its rooms, which are said to be haunted, are $60 to $120.